Thread by @MetroReasons

"The FTA finds that the 7000-series BCBs do not provide adequate warning for passengers with visual impairments, and create an unsafe condition that poses a substantial risk of death or personal injury."

#WMATA

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The FTA is requiring #WMATA submit a work plan by June 29th, and require all cars be equipped with the new barriers by December 31, 2018.

BUT.

#WMATA told me yesterday that the agency expects to be complete with all between-car barriers by Spring 2019, after the newly-publicized FTA deadline.

#WMATA in Oct 2016 told @MartinDiCaro that the entire railcar series would receive a between-car barrier retrofit.

"Cars that are still in production and all future orders will have the chain barriers installed prior to delivery"

wamu.org/story/16/10/05…

In June 2017, almost a year later, #WMATA told @martinepowers a final design was still in the works, and cars would be retrofitted by "early-to-mid-2018."

washingtonpost.com/local/traffica…

I wrote about the pax falling between 7K cars in March; #WMATA told me they planned to begin retrofitting the cars by June 2018, and all would be complete "by the end of summer as committed."

ggwash.org/view/66838/ano…

Metro blamed the recent schedule delay on a "Kawasaki shortage of material," and said they are working w/Kawasaki to identify additional suppliers to complete the retrofit work sooner than Spring 2019 if possible. #WMATA

(I'm told due to limited trusted suppliers to Kawasaki, #WMATA's chain manufacturing needs falls below the priority of another rail agency also receiving cars from Kawasaki)

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One source I spoke to thought #WMATA's Spring 2019 deadline for having all cars retrofitted was too optimistic.

But with a letter now from the FTA threatening to withhold funding, we will have to see what happens.

Anyway, I'll have a story running (hopefully) on Monday about #WMATA's 7000-series between-car-barrier project and hangups.

/fin

Before I go, one point: the rubber barriers which the FTA found issue with *are* technically ADA-compliant. But even so, the FTA says several incidents highlight the "ineffectiveness" of the barriers for mitigating safety risks for riders. #wmata

This is the @RailTransitOPS thread from May 25th, the 3rd incident that we know of in which a person fell between cars of a 7000-series train.

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#WMATA

"WMATA has experienced delays in its implementation schedule due to the design process and availability of components, and now projects that it will be November 2019 before all 7000-series cars in service will have new BCBs installed. " --FTA letter

Was told Spring 2019 y'day.

FYI, journos working the 7K barrier story: there are *3* known instances of pax falling in between cars, not 2.

1: 7/29/2016
2: 3/3/2018
3: 5/25/2018
#WMATA